Hedden Family Recipes

Chana masaledar (chickpeas, garbanzo beans)

Adapted from the recipe of Madhur Jaffrey

An Invitation to Indian Cooking, p. 210. New York: Vintage Books, 1973. ISBN 0-394-71191-2.

2 cups dry chana (chickpeas, garbanzo beans). If you use precooked (canned or frozen) chickpeas, use about 3 times this much: dry chana expand by a factor of about 3 when soaked and cooked.
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2-3 curry leaves
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
A piece of fresh ginger about 1 inch by ½ inch, peeled and minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1-1½ teaspoons ground amchoor powder

If you are in a hurry, it may be possible to speed things up using a pressure cooker; I do not have enough experience with pressure cookers to make any recommendations. You can use precooked (canned or frozen) checkpeas instead of soaking dry ones overnight; in this case, use 3 times as much by volume.
Wash chana and allow to soak in a large excess of water at least overnight; I usually let them soak 2 full days. If you do this, make sure to change the water several times a day.
Drain chickpeas, then put in a large pot, with enough water to cover them, bring to a boil cover, turn off heat, and allow to sit for several hours. Preboiling them will make the chickpeas softer.
When ready to start cooking, put oil in another large pot and put on medium heat. Once oil is hot, add curry leaves and cumin seeds. As soon as they begin to darken, after a few seconds, add the chopped onion. Stir and fry for 10 minutes or until onions start to brown.
Turn heat to low and add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and coriander. Mix, add the garlic and ginger, and fry, stirrring for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste.
Add chickpeas and enough of the water in which they were preboiled to cover them. Add salt, cayenne, and amchoor. Mix well, cover, and let the chickpeas cook with the spices for at least 20 minutes. Stir gently every now and then, taking care not to break the chickpeas. Add more water as necessary.
Serve with rice.